iSCSI Does 10G Ethernet

STORAGE SECRETS
The iSnap2200p includes hardware support for IPsec, an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) encryption standard. Unfortunately, encryption implementations tend to be somewhat variable. Taking advantage of the IPsec support will depend on how you use the iSnap2200p.

At this point, developers will work with Silverback Systems to see how this support can be utilized. The hardware can process up to 1 Mpacket/s. It also can handle 3DES + SHA1/MD5 encryption at up to 2 Gbits/s and AES-CTR and AES-XCBC at up to 4 Gbits/s.

The 32-bit MIPS 4KEp general-purpose processor handles IPsec Key Exchange (IKE) instead of the core processors. It can run from flash or RAM. Having this processor handle the key management is useful because this aspect of IPsec imposes little computational burden compared to raw Ethernet throughput or the encryption/decryption process. It operates at up to 200 keys/s.

Encryption support is useful, but it isn't always a big factor since many SAN implementations are well behind the corporate firewall where encryption isn't used. Some environments keep SAN even further from the outside world by having a dedicated SAN network connecting computational servers to storage servers.

The iSnap2200p is available in a 31- by 31-mm, 696-pin plastic ballgrid array (PBGA) package. It uses 5.7 W with IPsec support enabled and 5 W without. It requires a single 25-MHz crystal. The chip costs under $65, so host bus adapter (HBA) pricing is expected to be $350 to $400. A two-port, 1-Gbit/s version is available. The iSnap2110 is still available at $50.
Silverback Systems
www.silverbacksystems.com